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Basketball teams don’t need a guy like Shaq down in the paint–but brandishing a seven-foot one-inch, 300-plus-pound center makes a certain point. For a quiet ride on a bridle trail, you don’t need Secretariat. Most cars don’t need eight-cylinder engines, either; four or six do fine. So why, then, is a big-buck exotic packing 12 cylinders still such a status symbol?

Simple: More is better and size matters. It’s all about want over need, lust before logic, and all of that.

This stakes race pits four hyper-premium, 12-cylinder, front-engine gran turismo 2+2s–a back seat and two six-packs’ worth of pistons are required for entry. As a group, they’re fast, expensive, and thirsty: 48 cylinders, 180 valves, 2133 horsepower, a cumulative sticker price of $813,942 (including $14,200 in gas-guzzler taxes), and an average, MT-observed fuel economy that would deplete the Exxon Valdez.

Ferrari‘s flamboyant 612 Scaglietti is the newest to market, and, starting at $266,155, is the most expensive here by at least the price of a loaded A8. It’s Ferrari’s first front-engine model to make use of the aluminum-intensive chassis/body structure technology developed for the 360 Modena. The 612’s curvaceous Pininfarina design, with its pointy, ovoid headlights, classic eggcrate grille, and scalloped flanks is intended to evoke a 1950s Ferrari owned by film director Roberto Rossellini. Six liters of 65-degree V-12 cranks out 533 horsepower, and nearly all 612 Scagliettis will be equipped with the latest-generation Ferrari paddle-shifter transaxle, dubbed F1-A.

Mercedes-Benz takes overkill to the extreme in the limited-edition CL65 AMG. If 604 horsepower doesn’t catch your attention, then 738 pound-feet of torque ought to. You’d think any old 6.0-liter V-12 would be powerful enough, but Mercedes augments that SOHC three-valver with twin turbochargers; it’s essentially a handbuilt, high-performance version of the Maybach powerplant. A five-speed automatic with SpeedShift sequential control is the only transmission available. This ultimate torquemonster comes wrapped in the elegant CL-Class coachwork we’ve come to know since the platform’s introduction in 2000. In CL65 AMG form, it gets the top complement of luxury and electronic accoutrements, plus AMG-spec suspension and rolling-stock upgrades. It proved the best straight-line performer of this group and the second most expensive, at $186,520.

Also new to market is Aston Martin‘s latest future James Bond mobile, the DB9. It’s based on high-tech chassis architecture that’ll be shared with the upcoming AM V8, and later, the next-generation Vanquish. Its 5.9-liter, naturally aspirated V-12 is the weak sister of this well-bred bunch, cranking out “just” 444 horsepower. Choose between a conventional six-speed manual transmission and a six-speed automatic with its own shifter paddles. A convertible Volante version will arrive soon (Motor Trend, September 2005); for now, a highly optioned example such as ours will set you back to the tune of $175,700, including $230 for an umbrella.

The Continental GT has been a double shot of nitrous for Bentley. This well-toned coupe delivers stunning specs and style at a price point this marque hasn’t played in for decades and allows this most traditional of nameplates to enter new psychographic territories. Outfitted in a conservative color and factory rolling stock, it’s the sporting gentleman’s transport. Wearing black, a set of 24-inch Dubs, and a limo-tint window job, the Continental GT is the latest darling among the record producer and hip-hop crowd. At 5260 pounds, it’s the heaviest, although not the longest, here. Its unique W-12 engine wears twin turbos and puts power to the ground through a six-speed automatic transmission and standard, full-time all-wheel drive. Much of its chassis, powertrain, and systems architecture is shared with VW Group cousins (Audi A8, Volkswagen Phaeton). Fear not: It’s all done to an exceptional standard and is, in every sense, a legit Bentley. This sharing of bits also is what allows a car like this to cost $170,971–the lowest sticker on this lot.

How do they sound? The Ferrari is quieter than most (see sidebar), befitting the 612’s station as a flagship GT. We’d go for 10 to 15 percent more rumble, and it would add a lot without becoming overbearing. That said, it hums like the thoroughbred it is and responds well to your right foot. The Mercedes V-12 sounds like a high-precision electric turbine, if there were such a thing. The turbos mask much of its exhaust note unless you’re heavy into boost, but it has a rich burble that sounds expensive.

The DB9 sounds similar to an old-school V-12: a deep idle, a fruity roar at part throttle, and a race-bred moan at high revs. It’s the loudest of the group, but as the smallest and perhaps sportiest, it fits. It isn’t as sweet during shifts, but we’d bet the manual-trans version sounds just right. The Bentley ends up gurgling like a giant subwoofer. It’s quiet at higher revs, but settles into the deepest thrum we’ve ever heard from an automobile at idle. Even the starter whirs with smoothness and precision. Turn the key in a parking garage, and the bassy echo will set off neighboring car alarms.

The Big Benz wins any acceleration contest hands down. Its 3.8-second 0-to-60 time just toasts the rest of the class. As expected from the 738-pound-foot rating, and the fact that it peaks at 2000 to 3000 rpm, it’s no surprise that this machine redefines the term “mid-range torque.” This performance advantage continues through the quarter mile, making the CL65 the only car among the group to break into the 11s. Full throttle at 60 mph brings multiple downshifts and a pull that straightens intestines. The others deliver tightly clustered performances–0-to-60s from 4.4 to 4.6 seconds–and all three quarter-mile times are separated by just two-tenths, remarkable considering the differences in weight, power output, and transmission type. The Ferrari wails, the Aston howls, and the Bentley thrums.

Differences in handling persona are much more marked. Turning in top objective numbers (virtually identical to those of the smaller, lighter DB9) is the Scaglietti, everyone’s subjective favorite. The front end bites the ground hard and communicates abundant road information through its driver inputs. Body roll is minimal and grip prodigious; the traction control, however, stays politely away until the rear end gets seriously out of line, allowing for good fun before saving the day. The 612 is neutral, precise, and carries speed easily.Ferrari spent a decade improving the F1-style gearbox, and this one is the best. It takes a concerted effort to fool it into a bad shift, and it’s a willing partner for cutting up the road and concentrating on line and braking points. And those throttle-matched downshifts still amaze, although it popped out of gear a time or two; once the engine was shut down and restarted, all was well.

The Aston is an equally engaging dance partner. Its suspension doesn’t offer the exceptional linearity of the Ferrari’s, and its steering isn’t as communicative, but the DB9 is still a jolly blast to hustle through a canyon. It tramlines a bit on freeway rain grooves, but serves up impressive grip and a comfortable ride under most conditions. The transmission is responsive and “smart“–it holds gears when heading downhill, shifts gently under part throttle and aggressively when pushed, although we were surprised when a warning light told us to slow down, as the tranny was overheating. We pushed it hard, but not that hard. After 10 minutes of easy driving, the warning light went out, and that was that.

The Ferrari’s entire engine sits aft of its front axle line. This optimizes weight balance and polar moment of inertia, helping make the 612 a natural handler. Look beneath the Conti GT’s bonnet, and you’ll note the opposite: Its powerplant sits almost entirely forward of the front axle and high in the chassis. All-wheel drive, electronic stability programming, and big tires compensate, making the Bentley a good handling piece for its size and weight. Too bad all the hardware is necessary to fight physics–something the Scaglietti does by design. That said, the Continental still hustles along and covers ground with impressive ease. Its ride is hydraulically smooth yet well controlled, and its high-speed stability will have you planning cross-country travel.

Even though the AMG gods have waved their wands over the CL65, there’s still a layer of insulation between road, driver, and machine. The steering loads up and feels unnatural. It uses electronics to manage traction, handling, braking, and to fight body roll, among other things; all of which takes something away. The car doesn’t respond to the driver’s wishes as much as it tells you what’s good for you. Its limits are high, and it covers ground at a torrid pace, but you still feel every one of the CL65’s 4633 pounds and the electrons working to keep them in line. At 7- or 8/10ths, it’s superb and offers a polished ride; it just gets out of phase when pushed. As expected of an autobahn-bred German, this Mercedes’s high-speed prowess is faultless, even more so than the Bentley’s.

All four carmakers put considerable effort and expense into their drawing-room-level cabins. But the star of this show is the Continental GT. Every surface smacks of quality, beauty, tactile pleasure, and precision. The chrome is lustrous, the wood rich, the leather supple; even the knobs are nice. Some have criticized this car for using audio, HVAC, and other systems recognizable from its Audi and VW cousins, but the components and execution are so good, it doesn’t matter. Those big, eyeball-style air vents we’ve always loved in Rolls and Bentley products are present and accounted for, if in smaller scale.

Mercedes has been bagged on for cheapening its cabins, but that’s a malady the CL has never suffered. This top AMG-spec interior is terrific and, if not quite to the Bentley’s level, is what you expect for this kind of money. The heated and cooled 14-way-adjustable seating is comfy and supportive, the wood and Alcantara trim elegant, and everything feels and works as it should. Sure, the black plastic switchgear is the same as on less costly models, and the 10-speaker Bose audio gear not up to the standard set by some of the newest 5.1 Surround Sound systems, but, overall, the CL65 cabin is a fine place to burn miles.

The DB9’s interior is an aesthetic pleasure of surfaces and style. Not everyone liked the big swathe of (optional) bamboo that tumbles from the base of the windshield to the top of the center stack, but it’s eye-catching, nonetheless. The glass starter button is a nice touch. There’s no shifter for the automatic trans; buttons on the IP allow you to select Park, Reverse, and Drive. The upgraded leather is delectable, and the seats supportive, if not the massive and technologically advanced chairs found in the Bentley or the Benz. Our biggest gripe is the center stack itself. The silverish surface looks cheap and, on our tester, already shows signs of scratching. The white backlit lettering is small and difficult to read, and many of the buttons are too small. A rethink is in order here.

Polarizing best describes the 612’s cabin design. Some liked the combination of digital and analog instruments; some didn’t. Some favored the look of the retro-inspired Daytona-style seat stitching; others felt it looked dated. Everyone dug the supple, aromatic Italian leather that covers nearly everything, and the aluminum trim is just that. The Scaglietti won the rear-seat room contest by a bunch. This is a real 2+2 that’ll hold real adults in back. The Bentley and Mercedes were about equal in second, with our 95th-percentile male measurement model experiencing only minor knee or head contact when sitting “behind himself.” If you intend to sit in the back of the DB9, plan on storing your legs somewhere else.

There’s no loser here. If you can buy any of this foursome, you’re riding in fine, fast style. But the Ferrari and the Bentley were most consistently referenced in endearing, want-one-in-my-driveway terms.

The Scaglietti is the driver’s driver among this litter. This V-12 is the one you’ll flog the hardest, and the F1-A autoclutch trans becomes your partner in that crime. The 612’s steering is the most communicative, the chassis the most responsive, and the brakes the strongest (although all were superb). This cavallino rampante lets you know everything it and the road are doing, yet never punishes. Its performance, ride, and handling envelopes are large, and, strangely enough, so is its back-seat area, as noted. It’ll be interesting to see how this Ferrari’s exterior styling plays over time, as it was nobody’s fave. As the most expensive, it should deliver more. It does, and for many buyers in this category, even a hundred-grand premium is no biggie to get what they want, although one editor quipped that the Scaglietti is “a $200,000 car and an $80,000 donation to the Ferrari F1 team.”

The Continental GT oozes gravitas from every seam. It feels special and makes everyone in or around it feel special, too. Nothing looks quite like it, and its fit, finish, build quality, and materials set a high standard. It’s a performer–but it’d be more balanced and athletic if it weighed less and carried less hardware. Still, this Bentley’s presence and substance, combined with its (relatively) low price, make it a unique and desirable piece. It impresses, whether it’s eating up black pavement or pulling up to a red carpet, and is the “gotta have” favorite of several staffers.

Useless rear seat or no, the DB9 is more of a sports car–or at least a sport coupe–than a GT 2+2 in the sense of the others. It’s smaller, lighter, and an impressive handler. It’s everyone’s choice from a sex-appeal standpoint. The interior, while pretty, is a minor letdown functionally. We’d love to try a DB9 with a manual trans or an SMG, as that would further enrich the drive. A much better car than the DB7 it replaced, the DB9 will make a lot of people happy.

The Mercedes possesses Herculean capabilities, but fell short in the personality and communication departments. The design has been around awhile, though there’s little to distinguish this V-12 AMG version from a standard CL500 that bases for eighty grand less. The handling is good on paper, but suffers from too much electronic manipulation and intervention. It seldom feels fluid, natural, or linear in its responses. You couldn’t ask for more from a powertrain; if the Titanic had this much torque, it could’ve oversteered around the iceberg. A more direct driving experience and a unique look would add the specialness buyers in this category demand.

Money can’t buy love, but it can buy more cylinders–which, like imported beers and supermodels, are better by the dozen.

12-Tone Music For GearheadsBy Kim ReynoldsLike Most Sounds, an engine’s is a stew of frequencies. Usually the lowest of these is the fundamental frequency, produced by the exhaust valves. Overtones above that can emanate from the camshafts or even be artificially added for effect. We recorded each 12 for a few seconds near its tailpipes while revving at 5000 rpm in park (the M-B was limited to 3000 rpm). These spectrographs show fundamental frequencies (about 300-500 Hz in white), plus overtone patterns. The Aston has a strong fundamental and widely spread overtones; the Ferrari overtones are distinct and tightly packed. Strike the red keys to create an approximate facsimile of what these cars might sound like. Subjectively, the Aston Martin’s complex shriek outpolls the Ferrari’s timeless wail.

On Second Thought

“The Bentley Continental GT feels special. Comfort and power. Luscious interior finish. Details that exude class, with echoes of art-deco luxury liners, jazz trumpets, and a gear shifter that looks like a groovy microphone. Spacecraft-fluid body shape and stylish grille. Deep, throaty bear growl when the engine is gunned. This car also would appeal across a wide spectrum of well-heeled buyers. So give me the Ferrari. I’ll trade it in, buy the Bentley–and use the rest of the money to buy four new Minis.” – Andy Foster

“It wasn’t the fastest (CL65), it wasn’t the sexiest (DB9), and it wasn’t the best canyon carver (612). But, without a doubt, the one I’d take home at the end of the day is the Bentley Continental GT. While the others were lacking in some areas, the Bentley excelled in every one. Once I was comfortable with the extra pounds and remembered the all-wheel drive, the Continental GT proved an absolute dream to drive in the canyons. The Bentley also was the most comfortable and easiest to drive around town, and at about a hundred seventy grand, it’s a bargain. If it were my money, this is where I’d spend it.” – Scott Mortara

“‘Yeah, baby, yeah!’ as Austin Powers would say. There’s only one car here that steals my heart, the Aston Martin DB9. The latest iteration of the classic bulldog DB gesture is so dead sexy I can’t even see the others in its shadow. The fact that it sounds the way it does only enriches the experience. At full throttle, the DB9 evokes the intoxication I felt the first time I ever heard a V-12. The 5.9-liter erupts in a smooth and raspy 12-part harmony that can’t be mistaken for anything but a proper V-12. Aston Martin’s got its mojo back–and it’s working on me.”– Chris Walton

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Baby New Year moved his party to the Motor City beginning January 8th when Detroit hosted the North American International Auto Show. Press preview days Sunday through Tuesday allowed the Motor Trend staff to join more than 6500 of auto scribes from around the globe as they descended upon the massive Cobo Hall to catch a first glimpse at the…

Basketball teams don't need a guy like Shaq down in the paint--but brandishing a seven-foot one-inch, 300-plus-pound center makes a certain point. For a quiet ride on a bridle trail, you don't need Secretariat. Most cars don't need eight-cylinder engines, either; four or six do fine. So why, then, is a big-buck exotic packing 12 cylinders still such a status…